Dear BEN Readers,

Thirty years ago, on May 17, 1975, the Sipsey Wilderness was dedicated. 

In his wonderful book, "The Battle for Alabama's Wilderness," former Alabama Conservancy executive director John Randolph vividly describes the five year struggle to create Alabama's first wilderness.  Nearly 35 years ago, it was a group of Alabamians, who through their passion and creativity, "birthed" the national Eastern Wilderness movement. The Sipsey was the keystone.

Many of Alabama's special places, may they be held privately (Alabama's 213,000 forest owners, land trusts...) or publicly, exist because someone decided to make not only a lifelong commitment, but a generational investment to the betterment of the public good and our natural heritage. 

This "BEN Special" commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the Sipsey and celebrates our public lands.

Best Wishes.

Pat Byington, BEN Publisher

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1) Mary Burks' Sipsey Wilderness Congressional Testimony
2) Honor Roll: Sipsey Wilderness Feasibility Study Committee
3) Public Lands in Alabama (State) : Forever Wild, State Parks and WMA Lands
4) Public Lands in Alabama (Federal) : National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests and Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Lands

1. Mary Burks' Sipsey Wilderness Congressional Testimony

In celebration of the Sipsey's 30th year, the following are congressional testimonies (the excerpts are from John Randolph's book, "The Battle for Alabama's Wilderness") supporting Sipsey wilderness designation, by Mary Burks, a cofounder of the Alabama Conservancy and the "mother" of the Sipsey Wilderness.

"[In the canyons of the Sipsey],  abundant water and sheltering walls enclose an island of the past.  Sheer sandstone cliffs, crowned with mountain laurel and filled with rare ferns and wildflowers rear 100 feet above the steep valley slopes.  Hundreds of waterfalls cascade down the rock walls or plunge to the valley floor.  Numerous rock shelters occur throughout the approximately 30 miles of gorges, and the monstrous boulders lie shattered at the bases of the great cliffs.

"The Bankhead is a microcosm of Alabama plant diversity because three major land divisions meet within it.  The forest is located at the southern terminus of the Cumberland Plateau where it meets the Coastal Plains.  The cool summer temperatures, deep shade and constant supply of moisture in the Sipsey gorges provide a southern refuge  for a relic Pleistocene Flora... The proposed Sipsey Wilderness abounds in rare plants of unusual size, diversity, distribution of rarity…[Twenty-four] plants reach the southern limits, including the Canada Hemlock and the Sweet Birch.

"Wilderness saves the flora and fauna which we do not yet have the knowledge to understand or the wisdom to appreciate.  These gene pools may carry the inheritance which we must have in the future to breed survival values back into our soils, plants and animals.  To destroy this area would be like burning a library before any of its books were read or even catalogued.

"In 1913, when…the proposed wilderness was purchased by the United States Forest Service, its steepness, ruggedness and inaccessibility combined to give it little monetary value…The very factors that made the Sipsey almost "worthless" in the early days of America now give it immeasurable value.

"Walking into the deep recesses of these undisturbed canyons is like taking a trip into the dim, dark past, into the majestic virgin hardwood forest of the Southern Appalachians that was known to the American Indian and the earliest of our explorers.  It is hard to believe that such a retreat, a haven with such feelings of isolation and wildness, can still be found within two hundred miles of major cities with a combined population of six million."

2. Honor Roll: Sipsey Wilderness Feasibility Study Committee

In order to convince Congress, the Forest Service and the public, the need for wilderness designation, a Wilderness Feasibility Study Committee was organized.  The following is the "honor roll" of individuals who participated in the study (Once again - thanks to John Randolph).

Ornithology: Thomas Imhof of Birmingham, author of Alabama Birds
Herpetology: Mike Hopiak and James Peavey of the Southeastern Herpetological Society
Ichthyology: Mike Howell of Samford and Don Dyckus, Alabama Department of Conservation
Botany: Louise G. "Weesie" Smith and Blanche Dean
Geology: Denny N. Bearce of Birmingham Southern College
History: Dale Carruthers (Mrs. Thomas N., Jr.)
Speleology: James and Fran Alexander of the Huntsville Grotto
Game and Wildlife - Charles Kelley, director of Game and Fish Division for the State of Alabama
NonGame Wildlife - Dan Holliman, Birmingham Southern College
Trail and Chairman of Field Parties - James Manasco

Along with the study, Walter F. Coxe, Perry Covington, Dennis Holt and Elberta Reid produced the film, The Bankhead - An Alabama Adventure.

Other notables in the Sipsey campaign --- Bob and Mary Burks, Charles Prigmore, Tom Rodgers and Joab Thomas, former President of the University of Alabama.  Over 23,000 names were signed to a petition supporting Sipsey.  One hundred and thirty (130) organizations endorsed the designation, including then Governor George Wallace, the 1971 Alabama legislature and the entire Alabama Congressional delegation.

On January 4, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed the Eastern Wilderness Act into law, designating 16 wildernesses nationwide, including the 12,726 acre Sipsey Wilderness.

For additional reading on the Eastern Wilderness movement and Alabama's own wilderness areas go to the following websites:

The Battle for Alabama Wilderness - http://www.uapress.ua.edu/NewSearch2.cfm?id=133035
Wilderness Heroes - http://www.wildernessforever.org/heroes/december1.html
Why Wilderness? - http://www.wilderness.org/WhereWeWork/Alabama/future.cfm

3. Public Lands in Alabama (State) : Forever Wild, State Parks and WMA Lands

The state of Alabama's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources protects and preserves many of Alabama's "natural wonders."  Here is a short description of their programs, and websites.

Forever Wild - The most successful conservation program created in Alabama over the last decade, the Forever Wild program, which was established in 1992 by constitutional amendment has acquired  40 tracts and more than 110,000 acres of land  for recreation, wildlife, education and preservation. Here is a description of the program and a listing of tracts:

http://www.outdooralabama.com/public-lands/stateLands/foreverWild/

State Parks - From the top of Monte Sano Mountain in Huntsville to Gulf State Park in Baldwin County, Alabama's 22 State parks are recreational and natural treasures.

http://www.alapark.com

Wildlife Management Areas - Alabama's Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (Department of Conservation) manages more than 626,500 acres of public hunting land throughout the state. Preserving Alabama's "hunting heritage" these lands are available to all Alabamians.

http://www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/land/wildlife-areas/

4. Public Lands in Alabama (Federal) : National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests and Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Lands

National Parks - From the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail, which "touches" northwest Alabama to the Little River Canyon National Preserve in the northeast corner of the state, Alabama's National Park units provide all Alabamians history, nature and recreation.

http://www.usparks.about.com/blpkal.htm

National Wildlife Refuge - Where can you experience, the glorious Cahaba Lily, sea turtles, an intact mountain longleaf pine forest and some of Alabama's  best "birding" destinations?  Answer: Our National Wildlife Refuge System.  Alabama, in the last five years has been blessed with two new refuges, the Cahaba River in Bibb County and Mountain Longleaf in East Alabama, thanks to Senator Jeff Sessions and Rep. Spencer Bachus.

http://www.fws.gov/refuges/profiles/ByState.cfm?state=AL

National Forests - The Bankhead, Talladega (Oakmulgee, Shoal Creek and Talladega Districts), Conecuh and Tuskegee National Forests represent more than 700,000 acres of recreational lands, trails, wildernesses, wildlife and working forests.  Some of Alabama's most treasured places are held in trust within these forests.

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/alabama/recreation/

Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Lands - More than 400 local parks and recreation areas have been created in Alabama since the establishment of the Land Water Conservation Fund in 1965.  One of those invaluable conservation "tools," LWCF has left its "imprint" on nearly every county and city in Alabama.

http://waso-lwcf.ncrc.nps.gov/public/default.cfm

Additional Public Land/Recreational Programs  - U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) .  Each of these groups provide Alabama with a network of  recreational opportunities on waterways and lakes.